Thursday, November 29, 2012

We all know, that despite the saying "Do as I say, not as I do." children learn from the example we set. Like it or not, that's the reality. Their little brains soak in every good and bad thing we do. Teaching them is by telling AND doing.

Here are 9 things you need to teach your children NOW, so they don't grow up to be jerks.

Compassion
Teach them compassion. Let them see you give food to the homeless man at the intersection or offer assistance to a stranger in need.

Tolerance
Teach them tolerance. Religious tolerance, lifestyle tolerance etc. Tell them and show them that it's ok for people to believe in different things than you do, live differently than you do and to think differently than you do.

Giving
Teach them to give. Even if you don't have much, let your children see you give to someone who has even less. Let them be part of it. Whether it be a shirt to a friend or a large donation to a shelter.

Manners
Teach them manners. Teach them to be polite and considerate of others. Show them by example.

It's ok to be different
Teach them that it is ok to be different. It's ok to look different, act different, dress different etc. Children hear the things we say, even when they aren't directed at them. They hear us when we mock someone walking by while we're driving or we say something about the news anchor on TV. Try to set a better example.

Gestures of kindness
Teach them gestures of kindness. Let them see you pay for someones coffee, hold the door extra long for people coming through it, let them go first in line, offer to help someone carry their bags, say something nice to a stranger or shovel someones snow without them asking for help. Show them the happiness a small gesture can bring to someone. Show them how one small gesture of kindness can be a huge help in someones day.

Patience
Teach them patience. Show them that being patient pays off. Set a good example. Having patience is SO important in every day life. Can you imagine how much less frustration there would be in lines, if everyone had a little patience?

Use their voices
Teach them to use their voices. Show them it's ok to speak up. Let them see you be the voice for someone who needs it. Let them see you stand up for someone who is being bullied. Show them that sometimes people need us to be their voice.

The world does not revolve around them
Teach them the world does not revolve around them. *My* world might revolve around my children, but the world itself does not. We need to teach them that the world does not owe them, things do not happen only on their time and they are not entitled to anything.

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Years ago, even when I already had babies and toddlers, I despised plastic ornaments... You know, the plastic balls. I had all glass and taught my little ones not to touch them. We never had problems! I always thought glass just looked so much nicer. 4 years ago, Stormy (our Labrador) was a growing puppy and I quickly realized how a happy lab tail and glass ornaments on a Christmas tree didn't go together well. Over the last few years I've bought some plastic ornaments, just to cut down on the amount of glass for this reason. I bought more plastic again this year, temporarily forgetting that she no longer has a tail (amputation do to happy tail complications). When I thought about it, I said to myself "Eh, we have a lot of little ones. It's probably better to have mostly plastic anyway. Even though they know better than to play with them."

We put up our tree and decorated it as a family. I instructed the kids to use mostly the plastic ornaments that we have. The older boys did put on some glass, but I tried to keep the glass up higher. Not even 24 hours after decorating the tree, Declan fell, hit a branch and managed to fling off what was probably the only glass ornament on that part of the tree! It shattered on the hard floor OF COURSE!

My Labrador of all things, gave me an appreciation for plastic ornaments. Oh and I guess falling toddlers did too. Things sure do change!

What kind of ornaments to do you use? Antique? Glass? Plastic? Handmade?

Monday, November 26, 2012

Oh little boy. You adorable 6th child of mine. You snuggly little cutie-pie. I love you and I will always love you no matter what. FOREVER. But.... I do NOT love changing your diaper. When I feel that it's almost necessary to purchase a gas mask and not even think of putting a cloth diaper on your booty, because your poo is so wretched that even the dogs hide, it's time to figure out what's going on here.

Friday, November 9, 2012

A local news station out of California posted this picture, with the caption "Breastfeeding baby doll: creepy or groundbreaking?"

Now this alone (the caption) is pretty annoying, but I know how they work, they want to spark controversy, so I can overlook it for the most part. However, many comments that followed were just ridiculous and ignorant. SO ignorant. Reading many of them had my blood boiling.

These are some of the more tame comments I read.

While reading I realized, THESE PEOPLE are the problem. They are perpetuating and spreading the negative view of breastfeeding, like a disease.

Society has sexualized anything having to do with breasts to the point that the act of a mother feeding her baby, from her breast, which is what they are there for and something that couldn't possibly be more natural, is viewed as wrong, gross, sexual, inappropriate etc. Let that sink in.... Go on... This is not a problem with the mother who breastfeeds, this is a problem with society. Come on people.

Do I need to even go into how absolutely ignorant and STUPID the comments about things like this doll leading to teen pregnancy are? Do I? Really? They are STUPID AND IGNORANT. There.

Many young children and toddlers who watch their mother breastfeed a younger sibling will imitate it. They will imitate it with a baby doll, a stuffed animal, a GI Joe... Anything, really. It's normal. Just like children have play kitchens, power wheels, toy lawn mowers, toy baby bottles. They like to imitate what their parents do. It's perfectly normal, imaginative play. Breastfeeding is just another perfectly normal thing to do. Naturally, children will imitate it. Imaginative play is GOOD for them. Yes, even pretending to feed a baby doll with their breast.

As far as the doll itself. It's not worth the money for it to make stupid sounds. A regular old baby doll, they can do the same thing with. But there is nothing wrong with the idea behind the doll! Almost every baby doll I've bought for my daughter came with a bottle. I know it's just far too hard for some of you closed minded weirdos to comprehend, but feeding a child from a bottle or from a breast is the same thing. It's not "exposing" themselves. We all eat in public, a breastfed baby should be afforded that same right, to eat in public. Speaking of which, they DO have that right in pretty much every state! In fact, most places have breastfeeding laws that protect mothers and give them the right to breastfeed wherever they need to.

Society needs to move away from this negative view of breastfeeding. Society needs to stop sexualizing the simple, natural act of a mother feeding her child. Society needs to stop using women's bodies as a political platform. And for goodness sake, people need to quit comparing the natural act of breastfeeding to urinating or defecating! That one REALLY makes me mad. There is a huge difference and anyone who makes that comparison when arguing about breastfeeding being inappropriate in public, immediately lost that argument and are disregarded completely by anyone with half a brain.

*takes a breathe*

Breastfeeding has been around as long as mammals have. Get over it.

Just because it's cute.. and maybe to annoy some of you weirdos who think it's nasty, just a little... (My daughter who was 2 at the time and my 4th son)

Thursday, November 8, 2012

So... I will take the time, right here, to type out 30 things I am thankful for. I know some people think it's silly and you should be thankful all year... which of course you should be, and I am! But why not have an excuse to publicly express those things? :)

I am thankful for...
1. Each one of my children.
2. My husband.
3. My husband's career, as challenging as it may be.
4. Being fortunate enough not to be in one of the hardest hit places by Hurricane Sandy.
5. Both of my dog's love and companionship.
6. Coming out stronger on the other side of negative experiences.
7. Having the compassion that I've recently realized so many lack.
8. Veterinarians that care about your pet.
9. The beauty of Autumn in New England.
10. My children's health.
11. Old friends who understand... or at least try to, if they don't.
12. Heat in the cold season.
13. Air conditioning in the warm season.
14. Caring too much. I'd rather care too much than not enough.
15. A husband that understands me.
16. My husband having a good command on his boat.
17. Good people that make living somewhere I don't really like, better.
18. The patience I've learned to have over the years.
19. Being passionate.
20. The sturdy home to shelter my family.
21. The new glasses my husband made me buy.
22. The ability to homeschool my children.
23. Being fortunate enough to experience motherhood.
24. The fact that all of my children, so far, have been able to meet their Great Grandmother.
25. The open mind, love and tolerance I posses.
26. My husband's health.
27. Being able to breastfeed my children.
28. The food in our pantry, refrigerator and freezer.
29. The joy of watching my children grow.
30. Music and all of the other little happy things in my life.

I'm sure I could sit here and add so many more to this. I'm also thankful for YOU, the people who read my ramblings on my blog.

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

We went to Bluff Point State Park again a week and a half ago, before the hurricane, to enjoy the cool fall weather outside. Of course I took that time to get some photos of the kids! This is one huge perk of homeschooling. We were able to go during the school day and enjoy a peaceful walk without many people!

TBI

Traumatic Brain Injury Awareness Matters!

OrganizedChaosBlogs@gmail.com

*The two who started it all*

Hello There! My name is Sarah and I am the wife and full time Caregiver to my Disabled Veteran husband Tony. We have 6 awesome children together. After my husband's last brain injury in 2014, our life was flipped upside down and we have been rebuilding within our new normal ever since. Tony's TBI has left him fully disabled with a long list of brain injury related conditions and his 18 years of military service has left him with several more, including PTSD. Follow us on our journey, ride this roller coaster with us and maybe learn some things along the way!